University of South Florida University of South Florida

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Policy Brief David C. Anchin Center

8-2020

Concurrent Enrollment and Early College: Assuring Postsecondary Concurrent Enrollment and Early College: Assuring Postsecondary

Access and Achievement Access and Achievement

John Matthew Legg University of South Florida

J. Howard Johnston PhD University of South Florida, Johnston@usf.edu

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Scholar Commons Citation Scholar Commons Citation Legg, John Matthew and Johnston, J. Howard PhD, "Concurrent Enrollment and Early College: Assuring Postsecondary Access and Achievement" (2020). Policy Brief. 2. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/anchin_policy_brief/2

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CONCURRENTENROLLMENT AND EARLY COLLEGE: Assuring Postsecondary Access and Achievement

John M. Legg, Ed.D. and J. Howard Johnston, Ph.D.

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The senior year of high school has special social and ceremonial status in American communities. Many schools honor their seniors with special events, more lax regulation and supervision, and lighter academic schedules. These special privileges started back when most students did not either plan for or need to prepare for higher education. It marked the end of their education, not the transition to another phase.

Rather than celebrate, some researchers argue that we should be deeply concerned because this hold-over means that 25 percent of the high school experience is a huge waste of time, opportunity, and money. The reasons for this “wasted senior year” are many 1, 2, 3: For the vast majority of high school seniors, they have completed their state accountability testing, early college admission decisions have relieved grade pressures, their college admissions testing is finished, and they earned most of the credits they need for graduation 4. As a result, few seniors grow academically, and many regress, resulting in a difficult transition to postsecondary expectations.

The research is pretty clear, however, that students who take a more rigorous high school curriculum have higher educational attainment and earnings 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Further, a student’s transition to college is enhanced when they are challenged academically, and they are more likely to persist and complete their degrees.

TRANSITION INTO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAt a time when high school graduation rates are higher than ever, postsecondary education and training are becoming the new educational baseline 14, 15. It is associated with higher earnings 16, increased tax revenues 17, lower rates of unemployment and welfare dependency, decreased criminality 16, 18, and even better health and increased longevity 19.

Despite the pay-off, postsecondary completion is a problem—less than half of the class of 2004 earned a college degree within eight years of their high school graduation 20. Although 3.1 million students graduated from high school in 2010 and were admitted to college, only 68 percent, or 2.1 million, actually enrolled in college the following fall—meaning that nearly one-third “leaked out” of the postsecondary pipeline 21. Of the 2004 high school graduates who did enroll, nearly 40 percent never completed a higher education credential eight years after high school 20.

Postsecondary completion rates vary widely among student subgroups, so some students are more adversely affected than others. For example, while 81 percent of upper-income high school graduates successfully enter college the following fall,

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only 52 percent of lower-income students do so 21. The result is a stunning disparity in college graduation rates among students of different socioeconomic levels: only 23 percent of students from the lowest income quartile in 2004 had earned a college degree by 2012, whereas 67 percent of students from the highest quartile had done so 20. Similar gaps exist between White and Black or Hispanic students as well 21.

FOCUS ON CHANGE

For several decades, researchers have investigated new, more specialized school models and the effectiveness of these models 22. Among their most significant findings is that concurrent enrollment or early college is a way to sustain academic challenge, defray the rising cost of higher education, and lessen the time required to complete a postsecondary credential 23. It is now a popular alternative: about one-third of students take college courses while they are in high school. Concurrent enrollment grew 67 percent between 2002 and 2010 to 1.4 million students in the 2010-11 school year and continues to grow 24.

While concurrent programs exist in various forms, they share common characteristics: a focus on degree attainment, college access and enrollment, credit accumulation, high school completion, and improved academic performance in high school and college 25, 26.

Concurrent enrollment programs typically provide a curriculum aligned to satisfy both state high school graduation requirements and general education requirements for an associate’s degree. Programs can vary from a single course to a more rigorous four- to five-year model, beginning in eighth or ninth grade and ending with an associate’s degree. More often, concurrent enrollment programs consist of a two-year program beginning in 11th grade.

Early college (ECHS) and collegiate (CHS) high schools are a sub-category of concurrent enrollment programs. These programs usually have specific entrance criteria and more structured course requirements. They tend to be formalized and offer support structures such as academic guidance, application, and financial aid assistance, college selection guidance, and college transition support.

College affordability is a significant driver of increased growth in concurrent enrollment programs. Usually, there is no direct cost to the student for concurrent enrollment—the costs of tuition and textbooks are absorbed by the school district, college, or the state. For example, the Texas Legislature has allocated more resources to high schools and postsecondary institutions to

Students attend college classes at a

postsecondary institution.

Students attend college classes at their high school

taught by a postsecondary

instructor.

Students attend a college class at

their home campus taught by a high

school teacher who is certified by the

college.

THERE ARE THREE COMMON CATEGORIES OF DUAL OR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT:

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cover concurrent enrollment costs, and Iowa offers a weighted funding formula for school districts that have students completing college-level coursework. Florida statutes require each school district and postsecondary institution to offer collegiate programs and concurrent enrollment through a formal college and school district cost-sharing agreement, and high school students’ participation and completion rates are an important component of the state’s school grading formula.

Concurrent enrollment programs reduce time-to-degree-completion and the cost of higher education for students, lower the accumulation of students’ long-term debt, and reduce costs in state budgets 27, 28, 29, 30. These economic advantages provide particular benefits to economically brittle students during their academic and early-labor market careers 27, 29.

Between 2015-2016 to 2017-2018, annual concurrent enrollment participation in Florida increased by 21,468 students, or 38 percent, to nearly 78,000 students 32. In 2018-2019, 1,851 students graduated with an associate’s degree before they were awarded their high school diploma 32. As impressive as Florida’s statistics are, they are eclipsed by Texas where concurrent enrollment increased by 285 percent from 64,910 in 2007 to 185,255 in 2019 and represented 10 percent of all higher education enrollment in the state in 2018.

CHALLENGES OF POSTSECONDARY PREPARATION

The College Board reported in 2010 that “there are formidable challenges at every level of the system that confronts students who aspire to enroll and succeed in college” 33, p. 4. One major challenge is post-secondary readiness—ensuring students are prepared to be enrolled and succeed, without remediation, in credit-bearing coursework 34. Peters and Mann argue that these opportunities are not distributed equitably across schools, but that “students from poverty, small schools, and schools with high minority populations need to be provided the same head start on college as students from larger, less diverse, and more affluent high schools” 35, p. 652. Concurrent and dual enrollment programs provide effective “head start” for low-income and minority students.

Students arriving at college are expected to manifest a range of skills and characteristics for success 36, 37. The most frequently referenced are academic skills (writing, critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation), learning skills (time management, note-taking, and the ability to study independently), and psychological attributes (perseverance and the ability to work under pressure 38. These skills often can be cultivated in dual-enrollment programs that also provide mentorship for high school students taking college courses in the more protected environment of their high schools.

While teacher support is critical for building academic success and postsecondary aspirations, it is not the only support system that has shown benefit—peer support is also a successful strategy for improved academic performance for underserved and at-risk students 39. Building cohorts of dual-enrolled students creates achievement-oriented peer groups that can foster academic success and postsecondary ambitions.

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OUTCOMES OF CONCURRENT ENROLLMENTConcurrent enrollment has had a positive effect on postsecondary access, degree attainment, college credit accumulation, and high school completion rates, boosting academic achievement not only for affluent students, but low-income, minority students as well 25, 40. Specific effects are well-documented in the research literature:

• Taking more rigorous courses in high school increased the chances of low-income, first-generation college students’ to enroll in a four-year college. 40, 41. Further, concurrent enrollment is an effective “gateway” for postsecondary education. Nationally, from 2010 to 2016, 88 percent of former concurrent enrollment students attended postsecondary institutions upon exiting high school; conversely, only 12 percent did not participate in postsecondary education 23.

• There is a significant positive effect on postsecondary graduation rates between early college participants and their non-early college peers, especially among low-income students 23, 25, 40, 42.

• Concurrent enrollment students generally have higher grades in college and persist at greater rates than their traditional peers 43, 44.

• Multiple studies have shown positive effects on college access and enrollment, lowering the cost of college and increasing the likelihood students will enroll in some form of postsecondary education 25, 40, 42, 45, 46, 47.

EARLY COLLEGE AND COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The best ECHS and CHS programs share common characteristics, all of which are focused on student success: common focus, high expectations, personalized learning, respect and responsibility, performance-based instruction and assessment, and a focus on technology use. Students and educators share a clear common purpose, normally just a few mutually established goals, and all resources, including money, time, and effort, are aligned with the aims of helping students earn college credit and attain a degree.

While all ECHS and CHS students tend to benefit from this laser-like focus, the effects are especially significant for minority and low-income students for whom these programs have been especially successful in helping to boost degree attainment 21, 25, 47.

Securing durable high

school– college partnerships

Careful sequencing of

courses and supports that

allow students to progress

toward greater independence

Built-in opportunities to gain college

knowledge—the knowledge needed to

navigate formal and informal

college systems

The authenticity of college courses

A focus on key relationships

that help students to

believe they can succeed in

challenging college courses

48, 49, 50

DESPITE THE DIVERSITY OF EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS (ECHS) OR COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL (CHS) PROGRAM MODELS, THEY ALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT RESEARCH-BASED DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING:

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IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICEClearly, ECHS and CHS programs provide tremendous benefits for students, their families, and the institutions that provide them. Like any innovation, however, there are variations in the success and quality of these programs.

Both state and institutional policies need to focus on critical components of successful programs:

Recruitment and enrollment. Educational leaders must establish a well-defined and clearly articulated recruitment and enrollment process. Recruitment should not be limited only to those who are deemed academically talented or gifted; rather, recruitment should be available to families where parents or the students themselves determine they can meet the expectations of the concurrent enrollment program.

Expectations. Both academic and social expectations should be made clear. Academic expectations may include level of rigor, course sequences, homework, and college-level performance. Social expectations may include behavior and social responsibility, community service hours that must be fulfilled as a school-level obligation, and any state scholarship requirements for community engagement.

Academics. Course selection should be reviewed with students and parents to assure they satisfy requirements for a high school diploma and the associate’s degree. Advanced coursework, overall GPA and credit transferability should be carefully considered.

Social-emotional growth. Professional development for high school instructors should focus on the psycho-social-emotional needs of students in the transition from high school to college, and educational leaders must assure that all high school teachers involved in the program have proper training and credentialing.

Counseling. Well-trained and knowledgeable school counselors well-versed on concurrent enrollment policies and procedures are essential for students to achieve success. The school counselor functions as the students’ liaison between the high school and the community college.

Extracurricular activities. Educational leaders should ensure students have access to rich high school-level extracurricular activities to help maintain peer connections and involvement in the high school community. Space should be configured to promote collaboration among concurrent students and be accessible to the school counselor to interact informally with the students.

High school-community college partnership. Constant attention must be devoted to the complexities of blending the resources of two complex organizations—a high school and a community college. A standing workgroup comprised of community college leaders, school district-level leaders, teachers, and principals can help resolve matriculation issues as well as financial, student-related, course registration, and governance questions. It should also review policies and procedures as diverse as accreditation, course prerequisites, grading, free/reduced lunch programs, student behavior, and transportation to name just a few.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. John M. Legg is co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Dayspring Academy, a charter school system in Pasco County, Florida. This brief is based in part on his dissertation.

Dr. Howard Johnston is the Associate Director for Policy at the David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of South Florida.

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